Pursuing
Faith’s righteousness
Light opens path
Steps honor Savior’s grace
Found
Building
Lasting relationships
Quiet reflection’s refreshment
Accepting Savior’s timeless grace
Strengthened
Tasting
Precious wisdom
Cultivating Savior’s grace
Sprinkled with tomorrow’s hope
Behold
It is only through Scripture, applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, that we receive the grace to trust God in everything.
From Hebrews 10:39: “But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost but among those who have faith and so preserve our souls.”
From John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
Faith’s treasured bouquet
Running short of petals
Once filled with brilliant colors
Now fading away
Another day stirs
One more petal succumbs
Little color to witness
Darkness closes in
Mercy knocks at door
Savior shares timely grace
Fullest, colorful petals
Light rises again
Daily bouquet breathes
Everlasting goodness
Heavenly peace descending
Hope singing with joy
From Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness.
From Psalm 37:24-26: “Our steps are made firm by the Lord when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”
Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) was a Dutch priest, professor, writer, and theologian.
From Psalm 106:1: “Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.”
Never enough time
Life’s constant demands
Making moments for God
Pausing to hold His hand
Devoted praise speaks
For what God has done
Stopping life’s busy train
Praying beside His Son
Love for God endures
Goodness offers grace
Rejoicing in His peace
Feeling blessed embrace
God’s mighty doings
Quiet moments fill
Singing with heartfelt thanks
Feeling time standing still
From Psalm 106:48: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, ‘Amen.’ Praise the Lord!”
God warms His hands at man’s heart when he prays.
From 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
John Masefield (1878-1967) was an English poet and writer. Some of his most read poems include “The Everlasting Mercy” and “Sea-Fever.”
Prevailing
With courage
Jesus, thy helper
Shall never leave thee
Faithfulness
Triumphing
Over challenges
Christ, always near
Thee, no longer afraid
Confidence
Defeating
Calvary’s darkness
Savior, everlasting light
Resurrection forever restores thee
Love
From Isaiah 41:1: “Listen to Me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.”
Waking to morning’s silence
Praying to Father above
Faithful headwaters of strength
Renewing hope, filled with love
Energizing day’s journey
Tapping into Father’s grace
Coastlines reassured of strength
Offering peace to embrace
Joining in togetherness
Reciting from Father’s Word
River’s swift transforming strength
Navigating from what’s heard
Waiting with patience of Job
Seeing now through Father’s love
Each tide arrives with His strength
Restoring joy from above
Leaving wilderness for good
Fulfilling Father’s delight
Hope’s thirst quenched from water’s strength
Rising Son harbors faith’s light
From Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
God’s providence is not blind, but full of eyes.
From Isaiah 46:8-10: “Remember this and consider; recall it to mind, you transgressors; remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the outcome from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My purpose shall stand,’ and I will fulfill My intention.”
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) was an American poet. His Quaker background entrusted him to advocate for the abolition of slavery in the United States.
From the words of Dr. Martin Luther King: “Courage faces fear and thereby masters it. Cowardice represses fear and is thereby mastered by it.”
Worry arrives with concerns never to come
Building upon past fears, stoking future ones
Life’s landscape fills with looming mountains
Instead of gentle molehills, fear gathers and stuns
Concerns about future challenges come forth
Transforming into worries, fueling more fear
Darkest clouds come together and gather
Who will grab the wheel and start to steer?
Waiting for our Lord, He renews our strength
Living by faith, His Word restores our soul
Rejoicing in hope, patient in suffering
Renewed by the Spirit, we feel more whole
God always walks with us, seek Him in prayer
Darkest valleys ahead, His love casts out fears
With compassion for our sufferings, hear His Word
Comforted by His rod and staff, God never veers
Asking of our Father, seeking His counsel
Bringing clearer witness, through His precise scope
His guidance renews our hearts, calming fears
His wisdom touches minds, filled with Gospel hope
From Mark 5:35-36: “While He was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.'”
Originally published June, 2020.
Big Sky Buckeye 